There isn't much that makes me freak out in nature. MIce are cute. Snakes don't bug me, bugs are just part of life, spiders don't creep me out. Except this one. I do not like black widow spiders.
They're absolutely beautiful, don't get me wrong. The shiny black, the elegant curve of the legs, the shocking bright of the red hourglass. They are amazing things. Heck, I took photos. I think this is the first time I've seen one live, and certainly one this big. I also did not realize they were lair spiders.I just had never thought about it; I just assumed they were web spiders.
The lair was amazing. She had been living off a colony of ants that were living in a stack of mulch bags I hadn't managed to get spread, and had done quite well for herself. I knew they got this big, but I certainly had never seen one so large; with her legs out, she probably would have taken up most of the palm of my hand; I'd say her body was about the size of a quarter. Magnificent.
But I am sure you are all happy to know she has joined the Choir Invisible. I don't kill spiders as a rule; they are very useful creatures, beautiful, wonderful, and they eat ants, which is a huge plus for me. I do hate ants. But one cannot have black widows overrunning the basement here with my little guys.
2 comments:
You know, you live close enough to me that this makes me nervous. I think I might have to move somewhere where this kind of spider is farther than a state away. You may think I'm kidding. You would be wrong.
Amazing, but i wouldnt like to live with them at close quaters!
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